American Legion, DAR celebrate Flag Day

The local John A. Deaver Post 12 of the American Legion celebrated Flag Day on Friday, June 14, with a special ceremony at Liberty Garden.

June 14 is the day set aside to honor the American flag and what it means because it was on that day in 1777 when it was adopted as a symbol for the country.

The local Madison County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution were also on hand as the ceremony happened next to their Flags of Freedom.

Madison County Mayor A.J. Massey and former Henry County Sheriff Monte Belew, who now works in Congressman David Kustoff’s office, spoke at the ceremony.

Belew shared a story of having been a part of a ceremony in which they presented American flags to surviving World War II veterans recently in Benton County.

“One of the patriots we presented to was a prisoner of war in World War II,” Belew said. “And they weren’t treated well. He was a big man, but when he was released from being a POW, he weighed 86 pounds.

“But at more than 100 years old and having lived through everything he’s lived through, he made sure to stand in respect and attention to the flag. And we appreciate the sacrifice everyone like him has made for this flag.”

Massey shared a story from the Bible that he felt shows the potential for what Americans could be capable of if they all had the same mindset under the flag.

“In Genesis, we read the story about the Tower or Babel when the people began trying to build a tower all the way to Heaven,” Massey said. “God decided to confuse their languages because as long as they all had the same language and were all on the same page, nothing they planned would be impossible for them.”

Hugh Culver, the Eighth District Commander for the American Legion, discussed how important it is to maintain respect for the flag.

“It represents so much about this country,” Culver said. “What veterans fought for, what our casualties died for in every war.

“Our freedoms, our nation … everything good about the United States of America, that flag represents.”

Brandon Shields, brandon@jacksonpost.news